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Karan Smith's interview with ITV news aired on our TVs on Saturday 10 September. During the interview, she highlighted why support groups such as SOBS Cumbria are so important for people who are dealing with bereavement by suicide. You can watch the interview here or read the transcript below:

Karan Smith’s son Steven is never far from her thoughts. Six years ago the twenty-one-year-old took his own life and now Karan is determined to think of others in the same situation and help them through the range of emotions they’ll go through.

Karan: Guilt, anger, fear, what? Disbelief. And you can go through all those emotions ten times plus, and after six years I can still feel guilt, anger, disbelief. It’s a feeling that doesn’t go away really. You learn to live with it.

Reporter: Karan has now set up the West Cumbria branch of Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide. Whether that involves a cup of tea, a chat or just a friendly ear, what you’re guaranteed is someone who knows exactly how you feel.

Karan: I lost Steven way before he died. I felt guilty because I couldn’t help him. I felt I couldn’t fix him; I desperately wanted to try and fix him but you can’t.

Reporter: SOBS has become the only national charity providing dedicated support to those who have been bereaved by suicide.

Karan: People still don’t know how to deal with it. So I think it’s got to be there, it’s not going away. For every suicide, up to 15 people can be affected, and it’s those people that need our help.

Reporter: The key message is please don’t suffer in silence and help is out there.

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) Cumbria is pleased to announce that a new group has been set up in West Cumbria. Karan Smith has taken the initiative to facilitate the group, which is the third in Cumbria alongside groups in Carlisle and Kendal.